Dead Space 3’s Post-Ending DLC Launches

Warning: Minor spoiler. Do not venture forth if you are concerned about enjoying Dead Space 3.

Last year, there was a fuss made over the DLC for Asura’s Wrath. Most of the content was fine, and actually seemed to add to the experience. However, the DLC pack containing what Capcom advertised as the “True Ending” came under fire, since the company was essentially writing off the game’s two distinct endings as incomplete – which, in turn, writes off the game as a whole as “incomplete”.

Why do I mention this? Well, it seems that the lesson learned from this incident did not find its way to Visceral Games and EA, as they have launched Dead Space 3: Awakened, the only planned DLC for the game at this time, under the pretence of it being a continuation of the ending.

Awakened, as a recent press release indicates, is set after the end of Dead Space 3‘s campaign, with our protagonists Isaac Clarke and John Carver having survived the moon-shattering finale only to face continued threats by Necromorphs and “images of the Unitologists.” The DLC will apparently mark the return of Isaac’s psychological issues, as well as the beginning of Carver’s own descent into madness, in the duo’s increasingly reality-divergent journey to return to Earth.

As much contempt as I hold for EA and Visceral, I can’t deny the faith they seem to have in Awakening‘s success. Steve Papoutsis, VP and GM of Visceral and the Executive Producer for Dead Space 3, claimed Awakening possesses “some of the most creative and unsettling content the team has ever created” and that it is “really going to test gamers’ psyche.”

Awakening has been available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC since March 12th for $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points). Expect analysis of this, and other post-ending DLC, to be forthcoming.